Guests visiting Walt Disney World this week are witnessing a dramatic change along the western edge of Magic Kingdom. As Disney pushes forward with its most ambitious expansion in decades, heavy machinery has effectively erased a beloved Frontierland landmark from the map.
The iconic Frontierland boardwalk—a rustic wooden promenade that bordered the Rivers of America for generations—has been completely demolished. In its place, construction crews have transformed the historic riverfront into a bustling industrial zone filled with mud, heavy machinery, and rising concrete retaining walls.
The total destruction of the walkway marks a major milestone in the development of Piston Peak National Park, the upcoming Cars-themed expansion taking over the former footprint of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.
Here is a closer look at the current state of the demolition, the timeline that led to this moment, and what Disney plans to build over the ruins of this fan-favorite walkway.
What’s Left of the Frontierland Boardwalk?
For decades, the wooden boardwalk offered parkgoers a shaded, scenic route along the water, connecting Liberty Square to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Today, the classic vista is unrecognizable.
Riders waiting in the queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad now look out over a wide-open expanse of dirt and construction equipment. The sprawling wooden deck that once ran along the shoreline is gone. In its place, only a few weathered wooden pilings poke out from the muddy embankment—the final physical remnants of the former walkway.
Brown construction walls separate the construction zone from the rest of Frontierland, where autumn decorations hang on surrounding buildings.
Only one tiny piece of the original structure remains intact: a short stub of the boardwalk sitting near the former location of the Westward Ho kiosk. Complete with its original wooden decking, rope-netting railing, and red caution tape, the stub stands right in front of a temporary lighting tower.
Heavy Equipment and Retaining Walls Reshape the Riverfront
Behind the construction walls, the former riverbed is undergoing a total geographical redesign.
Industrial excavators, wheel loaders, and skid steers are actively moving dirt across the site. Because draining a major waterway in Central Florida creates ongoing water management challenges, heavy-duty pumps and drainage hoses are working continuously to remove standing water from the deep mud.
Meanwhile, the foundation for the new land is rapidly taking shape. Crews are building massive concrete retaining walls that outline the future edge of Piston Peak National Park. Rebar and concrete forms were first installed early in the year, and thick concrete walls now curve along the path where the boardwalk once stood.
During a panel at the D23 Expo, Walt Disney Imagineering’s Jason Grandt noted that the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue gives guests a front-row seat to the progress. Rather than trying to hide the work, Imagineering is letting guests watch the construction unfold as the park transforms.
The Timeline: How We Got Here
The demolition of the boardwalk is the culmination of a carefully orchestrated series of closures that began earlier in 2026:
- Late January: Industry reports first signaled that several Frontierland retail and food locations would close to make way for expansion prep work.
- Late April: Disney officially announced closing dates for popular Frontierland spots, setting May 11 for Big Al’s and June 22 for Westward Ho.
- Mid-May: Big Al’s closed permanently and was immediately placed behind construction walls.
- Early June: The first section of the boardwalk was closed off, redirecting foot traffic onto a temporary paved bypass path.
- June 22: Westward Ho served its final guests and closed permanently.
- Mid-July: Disney scrubbed the boardwalk from the My Disney Experience digital map.
- Late July: Westward Ho went behind construction walls, and nearby snack carts were relocated.
- October: Demolition crews completely removed the remaining sections of the wooden boardwalk.
Why Demolish the Boardwalk?
The decision to tear down the boardwalk stems from the massive scale of the expansion of Piston Peak National Park.
To build two brand-new Cars-themed attractions, Disney chose to drain and re-grade a large portion of the Rivers of America. Demolishing the old boardwalk allowed crews to access the shoreline, bring in heavy foundation machinery, and build the concrete infrastructure required for the new land.
While losing classic theme park history is always difficult for long-time Disney fans, the removal of the boardwalk was a necessary step to expand Magic Kingdom’s guest capacity and introduce modern, highly detailed environments.
The Good News: A Reimagined Boardwalk Will Return
Although the original boardwalk is gone, Disney has confirmed that a brand-new boardwalk feature will replace it once Piston Peak National Park opens.
According to Walt Disney Imagineering, the new boardwalk will run alongside a winding, “calming waterway” that will replace the wider Rivers of America. Detailed scale models displayed at the D23 Expo revealed a redesigned rustic walkway hugging the banks of a narrower stream, surrounded by pine trees, natural rockwork, and national park-inspired scenic elements.
While the new waterway will be significantly smaller than the classic river, the rebuild ensures guests can still enjoy a peaceful waterfront walk through Frontierland.
For now, the demolition of the boardwalk serves as a clear sign that Disney is moving quickly on its promise to transform Magic Kingdom. As heavy equipment continues to shape the earth and new structures rise from the mud, the stage is set for the next era of Frontierland
